That's Random: Taking Topiary to a Whole New Level

More Ways to Waste Time reader Harriet just sent over a batch of photos of the Olympic Gardens in Beijing. In a word: INSANE.

Take a look:

Thanks so much for sharing these, Harriet!

(P.S. For more homegrown examples of wacky topiary art, check out designer Hannah Berman's great photo series on the whimsical shrubs in her Albany, California neighborhood on her blog, Printer & Piemaker.)

Cool Stuff: Pia Baastrup Porcelain Paperboats

Gorgeous, gorgeous handmade tableware from Copenhagen's Pia Baastrup. Her Paperboat Collection mimics the folded bamboo dishes common in Asia, but is rendered in delicate porcelain. I'm officially in love ...

The collection is available from Craft2Eu, and ranges from 32 to 130 euros (about $50 to $202) apiece. Check it out right here.

Cool Stuff: Månses Design Bone China Collection

Perfect for summer salads: Månses Design of Sweden's simple and graphic salad serving bowl. (And come fall, you could also use it for pasta, soup, and other hearty fare.) Made from bone china, it's $50 from the Scandinavian Design Center.

Some of the other lovely pieces in Månses' bone china collection:

Breakfast Bowl, $20

Small Bowls, $33 for four

Flower Pot, $20

Cups and Saucers, $21 a pair

Egg Cup, $20

See the entire collection right here.

Etsy Find of the Day: Mudpuppy Reclaimed China

Old meets new at the hands of Etsy seller Mudpuppy (aka Denver, Colorado ceramist Michael McDowell), who takes vintage fine china and refires it with modern abstract designs. Above: Cup and Saucer Set, $35

Dessert Plate, $25

See all of the offerings (such as these Baby Head Planters, $25 each, which simultaneously fascinate me and freak me out) in Mudpuppy's Etsy shop.